Service continues to aggressively pursue offering a wealth of content with Google's typical deliver first, profit later model

Concerns about YouTube's profitability still remain. As the
Google-owned online video juggernaut explores
ways of justifying its massive bandwidth expenses, it isn't being
hesitant when it comes to adding to those expenses.

YouTube
just announced that it will be bumping the maximum quality of its
high definition videos to 1080p, up from the previous 720p.
Writes
YouTube software engineer Billy Biggs on the company's blog, "As
resolution of consumer cameras increases, we want to make sure
YouTube is the best home on the Web to showcase your content."

In
March YouTube began offering HD video for the first time. Much
of its video is captured from mobile devices, such as camera phones,
but even camera phones have now started becoming HD-capable.
One example is Samsung's Instinct HD, available since September.
Packing a 5 megapixel camera, the phone is capable of shooting and
posting HD video.

With the bump to 1080p, YouTube says it will
upgrade videos previously originally sent in 1080p that were
automatically downconverted to 720p. For those who want it,
720p will remain an option, though.

For those with fast
computers and large monitors, the bump to 1080p should provide a nice
noticeable difference in picture quality. Now if YouTube can
only find ways to become
profitable, it would be truly on a roll.

"We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk." -- Apple CEO Steve Jobs